Category: Uncategorized

I don’t think my heading – Hiemipause – is a word. At least not yet. But to me, combining the idea of a gradual change over time- pause, and the latin root for winter- hiemi works very well. Winter is slow to give up its grip on Montana. Living north of the 46th parallel means…

The extreme cold has passed. The ice remains on the roads and pathways, and the trails are in terrible condition. So, I am spending most of my outside time in places like parks. The paths are typically a little better maintained and lack the frozen chicken heads that are left behind when hundreds of footprints…

A cold front moved in a few days ago. Enough of a change that we have been relegated to very short walks for the past several days. I was hoping to make a good go of the 2021 Backyard Bird Count. I was planning to spend much of Fri, Sat and Sun out afield, rambling…

Getting out in the world – regardless of the cold and wind – and tramping around in nature is simply invigorating. I will admit to not always loving the first 100 feet or so as the wind buffets me and the snow stings my face, but nature walking provides something both calming and invigorating at…

Raptor releases never get old. We were invited to watch a Bald Eagle Release a few days ago. We leapt at the opportunity. This marks or 10th or 11th release. Mostly eagles, bus we have also done a Short-eared Owl, American Kestrel, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk. It never gets old seeing a bird that has…

Friday looked like a good day to take off- so I did. A couple of us circumnavigated the valley and found 38 species of birds plus Prairie Dogs, a Coyote, a Fox, Deer, and Antelope. We found 8 “year birds” bringing out running 2021 total to 47 species. With a little good fortune and some…

No image was possible this morning, but I have a theory on what I saw. I was on my 6:30am walk with the Lab. Looking up into the moonless sky, I saw a large hole in the clouds through which the stars shone brightly. The rest of the sky was occluded by low clouds. As…

I did not know what to expect from today any more than I know what to expect from any other day. But, this scenario might have been pretty low on the list of expected outcomes if someone had asked. I was settling in to do some work at 8am and I received a text from…

Since the first of the year, I’ve been out every day. Walking well before dawn and walking a couple of hours past sunset. Now that we are past 6-Jan, the days are beginning to “open-up”. The sunrise and the sunset are both moving the proper direction. I look forward to the return of the light-…

One day is bright and sunny with fluffy clouds, the next is damp and closed-in. Makes for lovely imagery as the Labrador and I enjoy our daily rambles about the valley. I have a lot of wool that I wear in the winter, and the Lab greatly prefers the cold months. So, I guess that…